Note 6 - Equity

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2023

Notes To Financial Statements

EQUITY

NOTE 6—EQUITY

Common Stock—On June 12, 2023, a charter amendment was approved by shareholder vote to reclassify the Company’s existing common stock as shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and create a separate Class B common stock having a par value of $0.01 per share.

The initial distribution of Class B common stock occurred on June 21, 2023 via a stock dividend to existing holders of common stock as of May 12, 2023. On the date of initial distribution, each holder of common stock received 0.2 shares of Class B common stock for every one share of existing common stock held on the record date. Similar actions occurred for holders of outstanding stock-based awards.

The distribution of the Class B common stock provides existing holders of the Company’s common stock with an opportunity to participate directly in the financial performance of the Company’s CORE assets on a stand-alone basis, separate from the Company’s metallurgical coal operations. CORE assets were acquired initially as part of the

Company’s acquisition of Ramaco Coal in the second quarter of 2022. The financial performance of CORE assets consists of the following non-cost bearing revenue streams based on the Company’s current expectations:

● Royalty fees derived from the royalties associated with the Ramaco Coal and Amonate reserves, which we believe approximates 3% of Company-produced coal sales revenue excluding coal sales revenue from Knox Creek,

● Infrastructure fees based on $5.00 per ton of coal processed at our preparation plants and $2.50 per ton of loaded coal at the Company’s rail load-out facilities, and

● Future income derived, if and when realized, from advanced carbon products and rare earth elements initiatives.

The Company expects to pay a dividend equal to 20% of the revenues above; however, any dividend amounts declared and paid are subject to the sole discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.

In addition, the Board of Directors retains the power to change or add expense allocation policies related to CORE, redefine CORE assets, and redetermine CORE’s per-ton usage fees at any time, in its sole discretion, without shareholder approval. Holders of shares of Class A common stock continue to be entitled to receive dividends when and if declared by the Board of Directors subject to any statutory or contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and to any prior rights and preferences that may be applicable to outstanding preferred stock, if any.

CORE is not a separate legal entity and holders of Class B common stock do not own a direct interest in the assets of CORE. Holders of Class B common stock are stockholders of Ramaco Resources, Inc. and are subject to all risks and liabilities of the Company as a whole.

With respect to voting rights, holders of shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted upon by shareholders. The holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. The holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Class B common stock does not have any specific voting rights or governance rights with respect to CORE.

With respect to liquidation rights, holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably the assets available for distribution to the stockholders after payment of liabilities and the liquidation preference of outstanding preferred stock, if any. That is, the rights to residual net assets upon liquidation are equal between holders of Class A and Class B common stock. Holders of Class B common stock do have specific rights to CORE assets in the event of liquidation.

The Board of Directors also retains the ability, in its sole discretion, to exchange all outstanding shares of Class B common stock into Class A common stock based on an exchange ratio determined by a 20-day trailing volume-weighted average price for each class of stock.

The initial distribution of the tracking stock was recorded as a stock dividend at fair value, which was estimated to be $11.00 per share based on the closing price of Class B shares on the first day of regular-way trading. The effect of the equity restructuring was a $102.9 million reduction in retained earnings and an increase of $102.9 million to Class B common stock and additional paid-in capital during the second quarter of 2023. The Company initially distributed 8,201,956 shares of Class B common shares as well as additional restricted stock, restricted stock units, and performance stock units as discussed below under Effects of Class B Distribution on Outstanding Stock-based Awards.

Stock-Based Awards—Stock-based compensation expense totaled $3.6 million and $2.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2022, respectively. Stock-based compensation expense totaled $6.5 million and $4.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2022, respectively. During 2023, the Company granted new stock-based awards and modified certain awards previously granted as discussed below.

Restricted Stock—We granted 296,115 shares of restricted stock to certain senior executives, key employees, and directors during the first quarter of 2023, having a grant-date fair value of $10.61 per share. The aggregate fair value of these awards was $2.5 million, which is recognized ratably as expense over the three-year service period unless forfeited. The aggregate fair value of restricted stock granted to directors during the quarter was $0.6 million, which is

recognized ratably as expense over 2023 unless forfeited. During the vesting period, the participants have voting rights and receive nonforfeitable dividends on the same basis as fully vested common stockholders.

Restricted Stock Units—We granted 518,348 restricted stock units to certain senior executives and key employees during the first quarter of 2023, having a grant-date fair value of $10.61 per share. The aggregate fair value of these awards was $5.5 million, which is recognized ratably as expense over the three-year service period unless forfeited. During the vesting period, the participants have no voting rights and no dividend rights; however, participants are entitled to receive dividend equivalents, which shall be subject to the same conditions applicable to the units and payable at the time the units vest. Upon vesting and within 30 days thereafter, the recipient will receive one share of common stock for each stock unit.

Performance Stock Units—We granted performance stock units to certain senior executives and key employees during the first quarter of 2023. These awards cliff-vest approximately three years from the date of grant based on the achievement of targeted performance levels related to pre-established relative total shareholder return goals. These performance stock units have the potential to be earned from 0% to 200% of target depending on actual results. During the vesting period, the participants have no voting rights and no dividend rights; however, participants are entitled to receive dividend equivalents, which shall be subject to the same conditions applicable to the units and payable at the time the units vest. Upon vesting and within 30 days thereafter, the recipient will receive one share of common stock for each stock unit.

The target number of performance stock units granted during the first quarter of 2023, or 518,348 units, were valued relative to the total shareholder return of a peer group based on a Monte Carlo simulation, which resulted in a grant date fair value of $18.09 per unit. The aggregate fair value of these awards was $9.4 million, which is recognized ratably as expense over the three-year period.

In addition, performance stock units granted in 2022, or 248,706 units at target, were modified during the first quarter of 2023. Modifications to these awards were made up primarily of changes in the composition of the peer group as well as changes in the way relative total shareholder return is evaluated against the updated peer group. The modification resulted in incremental fair value of $1.2 million, which is recognized as expense over 2023 and 2024.

Effects of Class B Distribution on Outstanding Stock-based Awards—Outstanding stock-based awards, including those discussed above, were reclassified to Class A common stock as part of the equity restructuring. In addition, the terms of the Company’s outstanding stock-based awards contained anti-dilution provisions before the contemplation of the equity restructuring. Equitable adjustments were made in accordance with such terms and the Company initially distributed 680,718 of Class B restricted stock as well as 473,707 of Class B stock-based awards (183,484 stock options, 136,819 restricted stock units, and 153,404 performance stock units at target) based on the same factor of 0.2 for every outstanding award. Since there were no changes in fair value, vesting conditions, or classification, no incremental compensation expense resulted.

Dividends–On December 8, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of approximately $0.125 per share of common stock. Estimated dividends of $5.5 million were accrued in December 2022 and were paid on March 15, 2023 to shareholders of record on March 1, 2023 in the amount of $5.6 million.

Dividends in the amount of $5.6 million, or approximately $0.125 per share of common stock, were paid on June 15, 2023, to shareholders of record on June 1, 2023, bringing the total cash dividends paid for the six months ended June 30, 2023 to $11.1 million.

No dividends were declared on the tracking stock during the second quarter of 2023. CORE financial performance is shown in the table below.

	Three months ended June 30,
(In thousands)	2023
Royalty Revenue
Ramaco Coal	$	1,351
Amonate Assets		752
Other		—
Total Royalty Revenue	$	2,103
Infrastructure Revenue
Preparation Plants (Processing at $5.00/ton)	$	3,433
Rail Load-outs (Loading at $2.50/ton)		1,726
Total Infrastructure Revenue (at $7.50/ton)	$	5,159
CORE Revenue	$	7,262
Total Cash Available for Dividend for Class B Common Stock	$	7,262
20% of Cash Available for Dividend for Class B Common Stock	$	1,452

Refer to Note 12 for information regarding cash dividends declared after the date of the financial statements for holders of Class A and Class B common stock.

On February 18, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved an increase in its initial quarterly cash dividend to $5.0 million from the formerly approved $2.5 million that was declared and accrued in December 2021. Dividends in the amount of $5.0 million, or approximately $0.11 per share of common stock, were paid on March 15, 2022 to shareholders of record on March 1, 2022.

Dividends in the amount of $5.0 million, or approximately $0.11 per share of common stock, were paid on June 15, 2022, to shareholders of record on June 1, 2022, bringing the total cash dividends paid for the six months ended June 30, 2022 to $10.0 million.